Raleigh, N.C. — The State Board of Elections on Monday approved a move by the Republican-controlled Watauga County Board of Elections to take away the one-stop voting site on the campus of heavily Democratic Appalachian State University for the 2014 primary.

Citing a need to spread early voting sites across the county geographically, the Watauga County board decided earlier this year to shutter the one-stop voting site at the Plemmons Student Union in Boone, where early voting has taken place since 2008.

Downtown Boone will still have one early voting site – at the city Administration Building, near town hall.

The lone Democrat on Watauga County's board, Kathleen Campbell, filed an official complaint against the plan, saying it leaves one early voting site to serve 60 percent of the county's registered voters.

Additionally, under the Republican plan, one-stop voting sites would have been open only 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays, making it difficult for people who work full-time to use them.

"The reason we have a problem is because we're right now trying to make it very difficult to vote," Campbell said. "These are real people."

Democratic State Board of Elections member Maya Kricker asked Watauga County Republican board member Bill Aceto to explain the closure of the Appalachian State site. He responded that other sites were better suited and more accessible.

"I don't see a compelling public interest in eliminating an early voting site that has served so many voters. The perception of fairness cannot be overstated," Kricker responded. "We can create a war zone, or we can build a community."

Noting that "there isn't support" on the state board, which is also Republican-dominated, to force the Watauga County board to reinstate the Appalachian State location, Kricker added, "I'm hoping that you will really reconsider for the general election" in November.

"I think we all feel like we're part-time residents of Boone," Howard said.

The state board did negotiate some changes in early-voting hours in Watauga County. For the first two weekdays of early voting, one-stop sites will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the county and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in downtown Boone. The following week, all sites will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the final Saturday..

Watauga County Democrats who traveled to the meeting from Boone say a lawsuit is likely.

The state board also ruled in favor of a plan to shut down one-stop voting at the Rams Head Dining Hall at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Instead, students, staff, and faculty will be able to vote early at Hillel for the 2014 primary.

Initial plans from the Republican-dominated Orange County Board of Elections would have removed early voting from the campus completely, moving the site downtown to the Chapel Hill library instead. But that changed after significant pushback from local leaders.

dahill001Mar 31, 2014

Republicans just can't get enough of the voter suppression can they?

Pulling for the TarheelsMar 27, 2014

LETSBEFAIR - you need to ask that a MAT (Multipartisan Assistance Team-every county Election Office is establishing them) to come and assist your mother... or, you can request her ballots for her, have them sent to your address and you take her ballots to her to vote them. That way if anyone else (nursing home, etc.) requests for her, she can't get them.

LetsBeFairMar 27, 2014

they also need to stop the dems from raiding the nursing home Alzheimer patients for their votes ... like what happened to my mother ... they 'helped' her vote -- when she could not tell me what a spoon was.

Pulling for the TarheelsMar 27, 2014

Facts in this article are NOT accurate... in Orange County, Rams Head Dining Hall was not an option for voting this year for several reasons. And the site is located on the edge of campus property (120 feet away).

Pulling for the TarheelsMar 27, 2014

Would LOVE to know why WRAL didn't post MY comment yesterday...

Terry WattsMar 26, 2014

View quoted thread

"I don't see a compelling public interest in eliminating an early voting site that has served so many voters. The perception of fairness cannot be overstated," Kricker responded. "We can create a war zone, or we can build a community."

Dems love the "fairness" word. Want to be fair, then work out a plan that makes it easier for the people that pay taxes. Others might not have the same level of convenience, but the people paying the bills ought to get top consideration for the non-existent myth of fairness. Were it up to me, I would eliminate this so-called early voting. If you actually give two cents about your vote, you would be willing to expend a tiny bit of effort to cast your vote.

— Posted by whatelseisnew

So when it comes to voting, you look at the notion of "fairness" as a bad thing. That's great WEIN, glad to see that "one man one vote' means nothing to you, that you advocate "one dollar, one vote"...

Bill BraskyMar 26, 2014

View quoted thread

Ahh... Nostalgic for the way it WAS???

— Posted by Terry Watts

Not to mention, didn't NC have one of the lowest voter turn outs of all states prior to early voting?

wjcspanteachMar 26, 2014

View quoted thread

College students need to vote where they are from-id HOME!!! If they want to vote where they go to college-they need to move their address there-change car registration-driver's lisences, pay TAXES there!!

DL needs to match town they are voting in-no where else!!

— Posted by baldchip

Actually, the SCOTUS disagrees with you. In Symm v US, they affirmed that college students are Bona Fide residents of the county/town where they attend school because they spend the majority of the year there. So...taking away the right to vote for college students in the place where they attend college is unconstitutional (again, according to the SCOTUS).

Ronnie ReamsMar 26, 2014

A couple of things that I notice in these comments that are wrong. On primary day, and this is the day we're talking about, the students will not be in class, but, rather, in the second day of Spring exams. Early voting is absentee voting! In person voting only happens on the designated Election Day. Been there and done that!

notexactlyMar 26, 2014

View quoted thread

Why is it that third world countries (where transportation is archaic at best) can hold an election in 3-4 days and have a 90% or better turnout, and we can give people 2-4 weeks to vote and we still struggle to get 50% turnout? I think that early voting is mostly a waste of time and money. It has done little to increase voter participation. I think that we should have voting over a 3-4 day period and let that be it. Those who want to vote will find a way to do so just like they have always done. College campuses should not be afforded anymore convenience for voting than any other segment of the population.

— Posted by Wheelman

Couldn't agree more. Although I have used early voting sites, I would be fine if they didn't exist. This i8s just a dem attack on the right. That's all. This will in no way keep someone from voting.